The invention relates to a connector for terminating flat multi-conductor cables in which an integral latch is formed with a folded beam to give the beam an enhanced flexibility.
Connectors for terminating flat multi-conductor cable are well known in the prior art. The U.S. Pat. No. 4,009,921, to Narozny, shows a connector including a base member, a cover member, and a cap member. The cap member is formed with an integral downward depending latch which passes through apertures in the cover member to mate with upper and lower slots formed on extensions of the base member. According to the Narozny design, the integral latch must deflect in order to clear the projection on the base member before engaging one of the two slots. Because the cap is formed of plastic, the bending of the latch often causes undesirable stress which leads to failure of the latch member, rendering the connector useless.
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,444,506, to Wedekind, shows a connector for terminating a flat multi-conductor cable comprising a base, and a cap. Bosses formed on the cap interlock with depressions formed on extensions of the base to lock the cap and base together with the flat cable trapped therebetween. Because the extensions on the base are integrally molded therewith, they are subject to breakage when deflection is experienced due to the cap being snapped into place.